Author's Note: This is a piece I began last year. It's a three-shot that sprang to mind on my Birthday. I really did not feel like celebrating my Birthday, as my Nana's Birthday was exactly a week before mine, but she passed away in February. I was always very close to my Nana, even though I hadn't seen her since I was twelve, and so that week was particularly tough for me. It got me thinking about how Elphaba most likely doesn't celebrate her Birthday, and I wondered, would Nessa? She might, but she might not. There could be all different reasons for or against, but ultimately I decided, for this piece, that she wouldn't. I won't post this all in one go, but will spread it out over the next few days.

Happy Non-Birthday, Elphie

CHAPTER 1:

"So are you coming? …Eeee! Great, I'll see you then!" Galinda snapped her pink cellphone shut with a squeal of joy and a little bounce.

"What's got you so excited?" Elphaba asked, eyeing Galinda over the top of her book, wincing at the sound coming from her room-mate.

"I'm just planning my party," Galinda answered nonchalantly.

"Oh, is that all." Elphaba's eyes flicked back to her book momentarily, before she looked back up. "Wait…you're planning a party? Don't you usually just throw them on a whim?"

Galinda wrinkled her nose up at Elphaba. "On a whim? Don't be silly, I usually try to hire the Ozdust Ballroom."

Elphaba's eye-roll went unnoticed by the blonde.

"I'm planning my Birthday party."

"Birthday party?"

Galinda nodded. "It's in two weeks and you and Fiyero are my guest of honours."

Elphaba frowned. "Don't you mean guests of honour?"

"That's what I said, guest of honours."

"No, Galinda, two guests, one honour. The way you say it makes it sound like there's one guest of two honours. It's guests of honour," Elphaba tried to explain, putting an emphasis on each 's'.

Galinda sighed. "Fine, have it your way. Guests of honours." Elphaba shook her head as Galinda continued, "Anyway, I actually managed to get the Ballroom on my Birthday this year."

"Congratulotions. What date is it again?"

"December twenty-sixth. And yours is…" She paused in thought. "When is yours? Oz, Elphaba, I've just realized that you've never actually told me when your Birthday is!"

Elphaba shrugged. "So I haven't." Not wishing to pursue this line of conversation, she turned over on her stomach and continued reading.

Galinda, however, did not take the hint, and bounced onto Elphaba's bed, peering into her friend's face. "Well? Are you going to tell me?"

"No."

Galinda pouted. "Why not?"

"Look, Galinda, just drop it." It had come out harsher than she'd intended, causing Galinda to go to her own bed in a huff.

After a while, unable to stand the tension – or the thought she'd hurt Galinda's feelings – Elphaba quietly said, "We don't celebrate our Birthdays."

Galinda gasped and stared at Elphaba, eyes and mouth wide open. "You don't celebrate your Birthday?! But…why not? You have to! Everyone does!"

"We have nothing to celebrate." Elphaba looked away. "Nessa doesn't celebrate her Birthday because it's also the anniversary of our mother's death. Nessa feels like it's her fault – she feels guilty. And if Nessa won't celebrate her Birthday, why should I celebrate mine? I caused all this to happen in the first place. There's nothing for me to celebrate. I've been trying to forget what day I was born. I don't even care about my age." She was quiet for a moment, trying not to let the emotion overwhelm her. "I have more to be guilty about than Nessa does. Can you understand now?" She raised her head to meet Galinda's eyes.

Galinda nodded. "I guess." She went over and hugged her friend. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have pried."

Elphaba shrugged. "It's okay, I guess. No-one ever wanted to celebrate my Birthday; I didn't even know what Birthdays were until Father told Nessa they weren't going to celebrate hers because of our mother." This was spoken in barely a whisper.

Galinda's arms tightened around Elphaba. "Oh, Elphie, I am so sorry! I can't believe you didn't know what Birthdays were! I'm not making you feel too awkward by celebrating mine, am I? If so, I can cancel the party," she offered, though she did look rather disappointed at the thought.

Elphaba gave a weak smile and patted Galinda's arm fondly if awkwardly. "It's okay. You go ahead and celebrate – I'm not stopping anyone else from celebrating their Birthdays, I just don't want to celebrate my own. Do you understand?"

Galinda nodded fervently. "I understand, Elphie, I do!"

"Good. Now would you please release me before I lose all capacity for breathing?" Elphaba asked kindly.

"Sorry," Galinda said, immediately letting go of her friend.

While Elphaba went back to her reading, Galinda sat back on her heels and stared at her, her mind going into overdrive with a whirlwind of ideas that sprang suddenly from the deep recesses of her disused brain.

After a moment, realizing Galinda was staring at her, Elphaba peered up and frowned. "What?"

"Nothing," Galinda said quickly, bounding off her bed and out the door. "I just have to see Fifi. I'll be back soon."

"Uh-huh," Elphaba mumbled with a sigh. Now perhaps she'd have a couple of hours of peace and quiet.